National League
● Cubs lefthander DJ Herz worked hard during the pandemic—and it paid off in 2021 PAGE 58
● An teenage Rockies outfielder didn’t let visa complications mar his pro debut PAGE 59
● The Phillies’ Matt Vierling found success not by retooling his swing but by trusting his hands PAGE 60
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
High-A Hillsboro hitting coach K.C. Judge remembers the text arriving on his phone one night in late June. It was from outfielder Dominic Canzone. He was ready to make changes to his swing.
The way Canzone explains it, he was hitting balls hard, but too much of his good contact was on a line or on the ground. He also couldn’t pull the ball in the air.
“A couple of swing adjustments were really big for me,” Canzone said. “Once I was able to get a higher finish, I started to do a little better and get some of those harder hits in the air.”
The results speak for themselves in what turned into a breakout season. Canzone hit .302/.375/.522 with 14 home runs in 79 games for Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo. The 24-year-old lefthanded hitter finished the year in the Arizona Fall League.
“It took a little bit, but he really opened up,” Judge said. “That night he texted me, it was just about midnight as I was getting into bed. He asked, ‘Can we get to work tomorrow?’ And we did. He really opened up and was like, ‘OK, I need to make an adjustment.’ And he did.”
Canzone started slowly, as did a lot of hitters who went without a season in 2020, then was sidelined briefly by a hand injury. He said getting healthy, adjusting his finish and getting his “pretty decent sized” leg kick more under control helped him get going.
Canzone also reduced his chase rate. He points to a conversation he had with D-backs farm director Josh Barfield that prompted him to be more selective.
“That definitely woke me up a little bit,” Canzone said. “Just getting my pitch. I was definitely chasing, trying to hit stuff I can’t get good swings off on.”
A 2019 eighth-round pick out of Ohio State, Canzone is viewed as a bat-first left fielder, though he has seen time at first base in hopes of increasing his versatility.
—NICK PIECORO
ATLANTA BRAVES
While injuries have stalled his ascent, righthander William Woods remains an interesting hard-thrower.
Woods drew positive reviews at the alternate training site a year ago and impressed as an invitee to spring training. Braves manager Brian Snitker lauded Woods, a 23rd-round pick out of junior college in 2018, before the season began.
“That delivery, once he gets comfortable and confident, he can reach back and get even more,” Snitker said. “I really like the delivery and the stuff.”
But Woods didn’t emerge
